Old Fart Songs

Subject: Old Fart Songs
From: topical tom
Date: 06 Feb 09 - 06:07 PM

Since most of us on Mudcat seem to be old farts I think it would be cool if we searched for songs that portray men and women of a "certain age", whether in a poor or better light. I'll start with one of my favourites ,"Old Dogs And Children and Watermelon Wine by Tom T. Hall

Subject: RE: Old Fart Songs
From: JWB
Date: 06 Feb 09 - 06:13 PM

"Silver in the Stubble" by ... ah... Sidney somebody? ... same guy that wrote "Lord of the Dance" whose name I can't pull out of my brain of a certain age.

Had to get out of the chair and look it up: Syndey Carter. Fine song.

Subject: RE: Old Fart Songs
From: Bill D
Date: 06 Feb 09 - 06:13 PM

"Over the Hills to the Poorhouse"

"Too Old to Cut the Mustard"

Subject: RE: Old Fart Songs
From: Joybell
Date: 06 Feb 09 - 06:22 PM

"Old and Grey and Only in the Way"
"When I'm 64" (Old enough? Say no! Go on say no!)
"Rocking Alone in Her Old Rocking Chair"
"An Old Man Came A-courtin' Me"
"Maids When You're Young Never Wed an Old Man"
"Silver Threads Among the Gold"
"Believe me if all those Endearing Young Charms"
"Don't Step on Mother's Roses"

barely begun yet
Cheers, Joy

Subject: RE: Old Fart Songs
From: GUEST, topsie
Date: 06 Feb 09 - 06:31 PM

When I Grow Up (I want to be an Old Woman)

Michelle Shocked

Subject: RE: Old Fart Songs
From: JWB
Date: 06 Feb 09 - 06:39 PM

You have to listen to all the verses to realize it's a "certain age" song, but 'tis: Old Peculier by Keith Marsden.

Subject: RE: Old Fart Songs
From: Beer
Date: 06 Feb 09 - 06:43 PM

This should be a great thread topical tom.

A couple that come to mind are:

Old Doc Brown
After the Ball
Beer (adrien)

Subject: RE: Old Fart Songs
From: GUEST,TJ in San Diego
Date: 06 Feb 09 - 06:51 PM

I recall an old parody from "Song Fest" based on "Silver Threads Among The Gold:"

"At the boarding house where we live,
Everything is growing old.
Silver threads are in the butter,
All the bread has turned to mold.
When the dog died, we had hot dogs;
When the cat died, catnip tea.
When the landlord died, I left there;
Spareribs were too much for me..."

Subject: RE: Old Fart Songs
From: gnu
Date: 06 Feb 09 - 06:58 PM

One that comes to mind for me is Spaw.

Subject: RE: Old Fart Songs
From: kendall
Date: 06 Feb 09 - 07:22 PM

A Daisy a Day.
My Old Man.

Subject: RE: Old Fart Songs
From: GUEST,TJ in San Diego
Date: 06 Feb 09 - 07:28 PM

Does anyone know of a song celebrating the efficacy of prune juice?

There was a story about an old fellow who mixed his Rogaine with his Viagra - he woke up in the morning with his hair standing on end...

Subject: RE: Old Fart Songs
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 06 Feb 09 - 07:45 PM

The Old Man from over the Sea (Hell's Bells, a folk song!)

Subject: RE: Old Fart Songs
From: Beer
Date: 06 Feb 09 - 07:54 PM

Does Mr Bojangles fit the bill?
Adrien

Subject: RE: Old Fart Songs
From: Lin in Kansas
Date: 06 Feb 09 - 08:27 PM

Silver-Haired Daddy of Mine

Lin

Subject: RE: Old Fart Songs
From: Rowan
Date: 06 Feb 09 - 08:39 PM

John Anderson, my Jo

Cheers, Rowan

Subject: RE: Old Fart Songs
From: Bob Hitchcock
Date: 06 Feb 09 - 08:45 PM

How about "Old and in the Way" by Old and in the Way?

I always thought you should never name your band after a song and vice versa.

Bob.

Subject: RE: Old Fart Songs
From: Joe_F
Date: 06 Feb 09 - 09:27 PM

Get Up & Go
Abide with Me
Sailor's Rest
Auld Lang Syne
The Goodnight-Loving Trail
Lies

Subject: RE: Old Fart Songs
From: Padre
Date: 06 Feb 09 - 09:37 PM

Silver Haired Daddy of Mine

Subject: RE: Old Fart Songs
From: topical tom
Date: 06 Feb 09 - 10:14 PM

Thanks for all those great songs. One that I don't think was mentioned is "All Used Up" by Utah Philips.

Subject: RE: Old Fart Songs
From: GUEST,iancarterb
Date: 06 Feb 09 - 11:19 PM

Maggie

Subject: RE: Old Fart Songs
From: Nancy King
Date: 07 Feb 09 - 12:17 AM

Too Old to Work and Too Young to Die
I Just Don't Look Good Naked Anymore
Time Has Made a Change in Me

Surely there must be more....

Subject: Lyr Add: WHEN MOTHER AND ME JOINED IN (Jan Stewer)
From: GUEST,doc.tom
Date: 07 Feb 09 - 05:14 AM

A. J. Coles' (Jan Stewer's) "When Mother and me Joined In": now there's two old farts causing chaos - and they know exactly what they're doing.

When Mother and me Joined In

Now Mother and me be the old-fashioned sort,
But us bain't half so soft as us looks,
There's lots o' things that the young 'uns can larn
Besides what they reads in the books;
Us was ax'd to a dance 'bout a fortnight ago,
A slap-up affair which us thought quite slow,
No polkas, no gallops, no gay gavottes -
They just walked round and round and they called it foxtrots!
          But when Mother and me joined in,
          My word, what a time us spent;
          Us didn't know much of the steps (tunes/rules/moves), you see,
          But that didn't matter to Mother and me;
          Us made up the steps as us went.
I bowed to mother, her bowed to me,
And the band began to play,
And away us went with a one, two, three -
Us showed the young 'uns the way!
They was begging our pardon left and right
When we begun to spin;
You'd never believe what a difference it made
When Mother and me joined in!
         Well, when Mother and me... (steps)
The room was crowded, there wadn't much space,
And Mother weighs sixteen stone;
I whirled her round and round the place -
Us soon had the floor to our own;
Us scattered the chaps, they lost their maids,
Us went drough thick and thin;
          Oh, you'd never believe what a difference it made
          When Mother and me joined in.

Now last summer they had in our parish hall
A choral society;
There was thirty or forty all singing to once
Including Mother and me,
But instead o' they songs that everyone knows,
'Twas one o' they horror-torios;
They was all afraid to sing 'en out loud,
'Cus nobody knowed what 'twas all about.
          But when Mother and me... (tunes)
Well, the man in front, 'e waggled 'is stick
And the choir begun to squall,
but Mother and me, us drowned the lot
Wi' Uncle Tom Cobley and all;
I sung treble, and I sung bass;
The tenors was lost in the din;
You'd never believe...
          Well, when Mother and me... (tunes)
The choir all sang till they nearly bust
And got in a terrible rage,
But Mother and me, us finished fust
Be' very near 'alf a page;
The poor conductor, 'e lost 'is place,
'E didn't know where to begin;
          Oh, you'd never believe...

Now, last Friday night us was invited out
To a whist drive - start at eight;
Us never 'ad bin to one before,
And us got there a little bit late;
They was all sat round wi' faces glum
As if they was waiting for Kingdom come,
Like a load of ol' pa'sons saying their prayers
Wi' somebody bad in the room upstairs.
          But when Mother and me... (rules)
Well, I went fust and I laid down
The ace o' clubs wi' a slap;
I was next, I played the ace
O' trumps, and hollered, 'Snap!'
The crowd did roar, the MC swore;
We see'd us was gwain 'a win;
You'd never believe...
          Well, when Mother and me... (rules)
Well, I won fust prize be' all the rules
With a hunderd and ninety-eight,
But they refused to give it me;
They said I'd reckoned in the date;
Mother revoked, her partner choked;
The folks all said, wi' a grin,
          Oh, they'd never believe...

Now last week us went out on a charabanc ride
And got up to some fine high jinks;
Us went to place just to see what was on -
'Twas one o' they 'skating rinks';
The folks looked very fine and proud
As they went skating round and round;
I see'd some sights I never see'd afore
As they went gliding round the floor.
          But when Mother and me... (moves)
Well, a chap fitted me with two left skates
Of quite a different track,
For one was determined to go forrard
And t'other to go back;
When I said, 'Go!', I shouted, 'Whoa!
There's somebody locked in me shin!'
You'd never believe...
          Well, when Mother and me... (moves)
A chap said to me, 'Where be gwain to next?
I hollered, 'Goodness knows!'
Then Mother come slap-bang into me arms
And away the both of us goes.
There was skaters in heaps all over the floor
With pieces took out o' their skin;
          Oh, you'd never believe...

Subject: RE: Old Fart Songs
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Feb 09 - 06:49 AM

Twice Daily

Subject: RE: Old Fart Songs
From: GUEST,.gargoyle
Date: 07 Feb 09 - 07:42 AM

The list could run, and run, until the cows came home.

For a little pop-rock try:

YESTERDAY - by The Beatles

AQUALUNG - by Jethro Tull

WHEN I WAS YOUNG- Eric Burdon & The Animals

THOSE WERE THE DAYS, MY FRIEND - by Mary Hopkins .

OLD MAN TAKE A LOOK AT MY LIFE - by Neil Young

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCKING AT HEAVEN'S DOOR-by Dylan and Guns and Roses

DEAD MAN'S PARTY (No One Lives Forever) - Oingo Boingo

OLD MAN BLUES -by Duke Ellington

Sincerely,
Gargoyle

Subject: RE: Old Fart Songs
From: GUEST,Bob Coltman
Date: 07 Feb 09 - 09:21 AM

The ultimate #1 of all time:

My Children Are Laughing Behind My Back   !!!

also these, if not already noted:

Old Man Rocking the Cradle
My Good Old Man
Old Age Pension Check (as sung by Roy Acuff)
That Silver-Haired Daddy of Mine (Gene Autry's classic)

and just to get classical ballady, oh gosh,

The Old Man Who Lived Near Hell (Farmer's Curst Wife)

Bob

Subject: RE: Old Fart Songs
From: GUEST,Bob Coltman
Date: 07 Feb 09 - 09:22 AM

How could I have forgotten that great Old Fart of the Century,

Father Grumble

who said he could do any work in a day that his wife could do in three?
(We old gaffers learn to keep our mouths shut, but sometimes it takes a while.)

Subject: RE: Old Fart Songs
From: SINSULL
Date: 07 Feb 09 - 10:01 AM

My Dad sang one called "Behind The Times".
An old preacher if replaced by a younger man because he is too old fashioned.

Subject: RE: Old Fart Songs
From: GUEST, topsie
Date: 07 Feb 09 - 10:08 AM

Old Rockin' Chair (Louis Armstrong)

Subject: RE: Old Fart Songs
From: Stonebridge
Date: 07 Feb 09 - 10:10 AM

"The Oldest Swinger in Town" by Fred Wedlock

Subject: RE: Old Fart Songs
From: GUEST,Bob Coltman
Date: 07 Feb 09 - 10:13 AM

Sorry to make multiple messages, but these things come in dribs and drabs (feature of age, get used to it):

When You and I Were Young, Maggie

Actually if you canvass the songs of the last third of the 19th century you'll find a bonanza of songs about old farts. For some reason that period, along with its sentimental classics about romance and lost love, was positively riveted on oldsters.

Hmm ... a feature conspicuously missing in the Tops of the Pops at the moment, circa 2009. Wonder why ... No, I don't wonder why. 'Cause I don't think I wanna know.

Bob

Subject: RE: Old Fart Songs
From: GUEST, topsie
Date: 07 Feb 09 - 10:19 AM

"I can't do my bally bottom button up"

Subject: RE: Old Fart Songs
From: topical tom
Date: 07 Feb 09 - 11:32 AM

Here's another one, "Waltzing Around in the Nude" by Dick McCormick.

Subject: RE: Old Fart Songs
From: Leadfingers
Date: 07 Feb 09 - 12:14 PM

Stonebridge - Credit the WRITER not the thief - Oldest Swinger is Ed Pickford's song .

Subject: RE: Old Fart Songs
From: Art Thieme
Date: 07 Feb 09 - 01:28 PM

From Forty To Sixty-five (as done by the New Lost City Ramblers)

Art

Subject: RE: Old Fart Songs
From: Stonebridge
Date: 07 Feb 09 - 03:35 PM

>Stonebridge - Credit the WRITER not the thief - Oldest Swinger is Ed Pickford's song <

Consider it done.

Subject: RE: Old Fart Songs
From: olddude
Date: 07 Feb 09 - 05:23 PM

I just don't look good naked anymore


still makes me laugh ... great tune

Subject: RE: Old Fart Songs
From: topical tom
Date: 07 Feb 09 - 05:49 PM

I agree with you, olddude. That is a really good song. So funny and with a great melody.

Subject: RE: Old Fart Songs
From: Fossil
Date: 07 Feb 09 - 08:12 PM

Rollin' round the back of my mind is a song I heard when I was a lad. Can't remember it all (well I *am* getting on a bit now), but what I can get is this -

Get Away Old Man, Get Away

Chorus:
For an old man he is old,
an old man he is grey
But a young man's heart is full of love,
Get away old man, get away!

Well I'd rather marry a young man
with an apple in his hand
Than to marry an old man
with a hundert' acres o' land

and so on. Does anyone else know any more?

Subject: RE: Old Fart Songs
From: GUEST,DWR
Date: 07 Feb 09 - 08:44 PM

Good gosh, how can we do this without "Old Farts In Caravan Parks" by Australian John Williamson?

You can hear a sample here. http://www.amazon.com/Old-Farts-In-Caravan-Parks/dp/B000THGLUM/ref=dm_cd_album_lnk

Thought I might find the lyrics on line, but I didn't. I followed several of those notorious dead ends and finally gave up. Closest I got was at http://www.johnwilliamson.com.au/html/music.html where there are a number of his songs listed, but not that one it seems.

Subject: RE: Old Fart Songs
From: Joe_F
Date: 07 Feb 09 - 09:25 PM

"I'm In the Sidings Now" by Ewan MacColl.

Subject: RE: Old Fart Songs
From: GUEST,doc.tom
Date: 08 Feb 09 - 07:33 AM

I think you'll fuind that In The Sidings Now was written by Cyril Tawney and first sung on Westward Television the night after the Beeching Report (which recommended massive cutting of the British railway network)came out back in the 1960s!

Subject: RE: Old Fart Songs
From: BB
Date: 08 Feb 09 - 07:57 AM

'Didn't I Dance?'
'Take Your Time' by Pete Munday

Barbara

Subject: RE: Old Fart Songs
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 08 Feb 09 - 08:01 AM

'Old Man River' could I suppose be considered an old wet fart song!!!!

Subject: RE: Old Fart Songs
From: GUEST,keith Ferret
Date: 08 Feb 09 - 09:09 AM

The Old Miner by Johnson Ellwood
Bonnie Bessie Logan, Trad sung by Ian Manuel
Sair Fyel'd Hinny, Trad
Old admirals by Al Stewart
Old Man Inside A Young Man by Richard Thompson

Subject: RE: Old Fart Songs
From: topical tom
Date: 09 Feb 09 - 08:55 AM

Refresh.

Subject: RE: Old Fart Songs
From: SINSULL
Date: 09 Feb 09 - 09:49 AM

Goodnight Loving Trail

Subject: RE: Old Fart Songs
From: Dave Sutherland
Date: 09 Feb 09 - 10:15 AM

The Banks of the Dee
Man of the Earth - Bernie Parry
My Old Man - Ewan MacColl (apologies if that was the one mentioned earlier)
John Anderson My Jo

Subject: RE: Old Fart Songs
From: KB in Iowa
Date: 09 Feb 09 - 01:01 PM

Arthritis Blues

Subject: Lyr Add: ONE OF THE HAS-BEENS
From: JWB
Date: 09 Feb 09 - 02:26 PM

Haven't seen "Fiddler's Green" by John Connolly mentioned yet. Nor "Awkward as a New Chum" -- if that's the title. Aussie shearing song:

I'm one of the has-beens, a shearer I mean.
I once was a ringer and I used to shear clean.
I could make the wool roll off easy, like soil from the plow,
But you may not believe me because I can't do it now.

CHORUS
Now I'm awkward as a new chum, and used to the frown
That the boss often shows me, saying, "Keep them blades down!"

I shore with Pat Hogan, Bill Bride and Jack Gunn,
Charlie Fergus, Tommy Leighton, and the Great Roaring Dunn.
They sent from the Lockland the best they could find,
Oh but not one among them could leave me behind.

CHORUS

Well, there's no use in complaining, I'll never say die,
Though the days of fast shearing for me have gone by.
I'll just take the world nice and easy, shear slowly and clean,
And I merely have told you just what I have been.

CHORUS

Jerry

Subject: RE: Old Fart Songs
From: BB
Date: 09 Feb 09 - 03:01 PM

And how can one forget 'Generations of Change' by Matt Armour, who passed away this morning?

Barbara